Thirsty Souls: Open Air Museums

This week we're thirsty for outdoor inspiration. These museums offer fresh air alongside a healthy dose of fresh perspective.

1. Gibbs Farm, Kaipara District, Auckland, New Zealand

Positioned on the largest harbor in the Southern hemisphere, Gibbs Farm features commissioned works by some of the world's most renowned sculptors. Seen below are "Horizons" by Neil Dawson, "Te Tuhirangi Contour" by Richard Serra, and "Red Cloud Confrontation in Landscape" (try saying that 5x fast) by Leon van den Eijkel.

2. Storm King Art Center, Mountainville, New York

One hour north of NYC, this 500-acre park is home to 100 permanent sculptures. The fixed installations are supplemented by additional pieces in special exhibitions that change regularly. This means there's always something new to see, but you can also always find a familiar friend of steel.

4. Chinati Foundation, Marfa, Texas

Everything's bigger in Texas, including the sculptures. Founder Donald Judd succeeded in transforming a former Army base into a 340-acre visionary space where "art and the surrounding landscape are inextricably linked."

Noah Purifoy first raised eyebrows with his groundbreaking work 66 Signs of Neon in 1966 - an exhibition made entirely of debris from the Watts Rebellion in 1965. He continued to create provocative art from found (or "junked") objects throughout his career and to advocate for art as a means of effecting social change.

The museum at Joshua Tree reflects the last fifteen years of his life, which were spent living and working in the Mojave desert.

7. Sculpture by the Sea, Australia

For three weeks each spring, Bondi and Cottesloe beaches become open-air, open-access museums. Sculpture by the Sea attracts nearly 800,000 visitors annually to the Sydney and Perth areas combined. Where else can you catch a world-class wave in view of top-notch objets d'art?